WFKB
Encyclopedia
WBYN-FM is a Christian radio
station that currently plays Contemporary Praise and Worship Christian music along with Christian feature programs and church services. The station is licensed to Boyertown, Pennsylvania
and serves the Reading
area. The station is under ownership of WDAC radio company. WBYN has two transmitters. The main transmitter is in a rural area 6 miles away from the station. The auxiliary transmitter and tower is located behind the station at 280 Mill street. It's coordinates are 40°19′04.64"N 75°38′59.81"W.
except for a few hours on Saturday afternoon. On September 14, 1989, the station was sold and changed the call sign to WYCL and flipped to a gold based downtempo Adult Contemporary music format. The station played a couple new songs per hour but leaned light. The station played several uptempo songs an hour. Artists included The Beatles
, Billy Joel
, Kenny Rogers
, Whitney Houston
, Gloria Estefan
, Chicago
, Supremes, Elton John
, Stylistics
, George Michael
, and others. After a few years the station proved to be unsuccessful with the new format and went bankrupt. On January 24, 1992, the station was sold to WDAC Radio Inc. It was assigned the call sign WBYN and returned to Christian radio format which consisted of preaching, teaching, traditional Christian music, and information features. The station would sell time blocks to various ministries. On September 19, 2005, the call sign was slightly altered to WBYN-FM in preparation for a simulcast with 1160 AM (formerly WYNS), which adopted the WBYN call sign a week later.
The music was traditional Christian music and played a few hours in mornings, late afternoons, and weekends. Some time in the 1990s, the station began mixing in softer contemporary Christian artists as well as Contemporary Praise and Worship Music. By 2000, the station was playing mostly Praise and Worship music and adopted the phrase "Life Changing Radio".
WBYN and WBYN-FM were entered into an LMA with Nassau Broadcasting Partners
early in 2006. WBYN 1160 kept the Christian format while WBYN-FM became "Frank FM" WFKB on March 15, 2006, broadcasting an Adult Rock/Classic rock
hybrid formatted radio station
. Frank FM had live air personalities during the day. Ken And Jenn in the morning, Randi Ellis in middays, Brian DiMario in afternoons and Mike Roberts at night. Frank FM was also the launching pad for a then weekend personality named Rob Soscia, who now goes by his real name Brian Soscia on Philadelphia's MY 106.1. Other on-air personalities included Jay Pinnel and Zack Morse. The station started off as a hybrid of Hot AC, Classic Hits
and Pop Alternative playing over 2000 songs. By the end of 2006, the station evolved into more of a heavily rock leaning classic hits format, including songs up until 1995. Core artists included Billy Joel
, Kansas
, Phil Collins
, The Beatles
, Elton John
, Led Zeppelin
, Fleetwood Mac
, Chicago
, Boston
, Eagles, James Taylor
, The Who
, Neil Young
, Kenny Loggins
, The Cars
, and many others. WFKB also began broadcasting in HD Radio
and began to multicast. WFKB analog and WFKB-HD1 broadcast "Frank FM" while WFKB-HD2 broadcast the Christian format that also airs on 1160 WBYN.
From the Newsletter: "The Nassau-WDAC deal struck in August 2005 was for an eventual purchase price of $22 million, and an LMA fee of $100,000 the first year, rising to $300,000 in the third year. Owner WDAC continued to operate its very successful Christian teaching WDAC (94.5) in the Lancaster, PA market."
Christian radio
Christian radio is a category of radio formats that focus on transmitting programming with a Christian message. In the United States, where it is more established, many such broadcasters play popular music of Christian influence, though many programs have talk or news programming covering...
station that currently plays Contemporary Praise and Worship Christian music along with Christian feature programs and church services. The station is licensed to Boyertown, Pennsylvania
Boyertown, Pennsylvania
Boyertown is a borough in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,940 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of , all of it land.-Demographics:...
and serves the Reading
Reading, Pennsylvania
Reading is a city in southeastern Pennsylvania, USA, and seat of Berks County. Reading is the principal city of the Greater Reading Area and had a population of 88,082 as of the 2010 census, making it the fifth most populated city in the state after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown and Erie,...
area. The station is under ownership of WDAC radio company. WBYN has two transmitters. The main transmitter is in a rural area 6 miles away from the station. The auxiliary transmitter and tower is located behind the station at 280 Mill street. It's coordinates are 40°19′04.64"N 75°38′59.81"W.
History
The station was founded by Dave Hendricks and was first assigned the call sign WBYO in 1969. The station employed a Christian teaching format with traditional Christian music played in between features. The station was a commercial operation but steered clear of Contemporary Christian MusicContemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music is a genre of modern popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith...
except for a few hours on Saturday afternoon. On September 14, 1989, the station was sold and changed the call sign to WYCL and flipped to a gold based downtempo Adult Contemporary music format. The station played a couple new songs per hour but leaned light. The station played several uptempo songs an hour. Artists included The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, Billy Joel
Billy Joel
William Martin "Billy" Joel is an American musician and pianist, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to...
, Kenny Rogers
Kenny Rogers
Kenneth Donald "Kenny" Rogers is an American singer-songwriter, photographer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur...
, Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
, Gloria Estefan
Gloria Estefan
Gloria María Milagrosa Fajardo García de Estefan; known professionally as Gloria Estefan is a Cuban-born American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known as the "Queen Of Latin Pop", she is in the top 100 best selling music artists with over 100 million albums sold worldwide, 31.5 million of those...
, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Supremes, Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
, Stylistics
Stylistics
Stylistics might apply to:* The Stylistics, a Philadelphia soul group* Stylistics , the study of language and its context...
, George Michael
George Michael
George Michael is a British musician, singer, songwriter and record producer who rose to fame in the 1980s when he formed the pop duo Wham! with his school friend, Andrew Ridgeley...
, and others. After a few years the station proved to be unsuccessful with the new format and went bankrupt. On January 24, 1992, the station was sold to WDAC Radio Inc. It was assigned the call sign WBYN and returned to Christian radio format which consisted of preaching, teaching, traditional Christian music, and information features. The station would sell time blocks to various ministries. On September 19, 2005, the call sign was slightly altered to WBYN-FM in preparation for a simulcast with 1160 AM (formerly WYNS), which adopted the WBYN call sign a week later.
The music was traditional Christian music and played a few hours in mornings, late afternoons, and weekends. Some time in the 1990s, the station began mixing in softer contemporary Christian artists as well as Contemporary Praise and Worship Music. By 2000, the station was playing mostly Praise and Worship music and adopted the phrase "Life Changing Radio".
WFKB Frank FM
Nassau Broadcasting Partners
Nassau Broadcasting Partners LP is a company based in Princeton, New Jersey that owns radio stations in New England and the Mid-Atlantic United States. Nassau's stations, which include both AM and FM frequencies, are located in Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey,...
early in 2006. WBYN 1160 kept the Christian format while WBYN-FM became "Frank FM" WFKB on March 15, 2006, broadcasting an Adult Rock/Classic rock
Classic rock
Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...
hybrid formatted radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
. Frank FM had live air personalities during the day. Ken And Jenn in the morning, Randi Ellis in middays, Brian DiMario in afternoons and Mike Roberts at night. Frank FM was also the launching pad for a then weekend personality named Rob Soscia, who now goes by his real name Brian Soscia on Philadelphia's MY 106.1. Other on-air personalities included Jay Pinnel and Zack Morse. The station started off as a hybrid of Hot AC, Classic Hits
Classic hits
Classic hits is a radio format which generally includes rock and pop music from 1964 to 1989. The term is sometimes erroneously used as a synonym for the adult hits format, but is more accurately characterized as a contemporary style of the oldies format...
and Pop Alternative playing over 2000 songs. By the end of 2006, the station evolved into more of a heavily rock leaning classic hits format, including songs up until 1995. Core artists included Billy Joel
Billy Joel
William Martin "Billy" Joel is an American musician and pianist, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, Phil Collins
Phil Collins
Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
, The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
, Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
, Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac are a British–American rock band formed in 1967 in London.The only original member present in the band is its eponymous drummer, Mick Fleetwood...
, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Eagles, James Taylor
James Taylor
James Vernon Taylor is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A five-time Grammy Award winner, Taylor was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000....
, The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
, Neil Young
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
, Kenny Loggins
Kenny Loggins
During the next decade, Loggins recorded so many successful songs for film soundtracks that he was referred to as, King of the Movie Soundtrack.He began with "I'm Alright" , "Mr. Night", and "Lead the Way" from Caddyshack...
, The Cars
The Cars
The Cars are an American rock band that emerged from the early New Wave music scene in the late 1970s. The band consisted of lead singer and rhythm guitarist Ric Ocasek, lead singer and bassist Benjamin Orr, guitarist Elliot Easton, keyboardist Greg Hawkes and drummer David Robinson...
, and many others. WFKB also began broadcasting in HD Radio
HD Radio
HD Radio, which originally stood for "Hybrid Digital", is the trademark for iBiquity's in-band on-channel digital radio technology used by AM and FM radio stations to transmit audio and data via a digital signal in conjunction with their analog signals...
and began to multicast. WFKB analog and WFKB-HD1 broadcast "Frank FM" while WFKB-HD2 broadcast the Christian format that also airs on 1160 WBYN.
Return to WBYN-FM
On March 31, 2009, the LMA between Nassau and WDAC-FM (owners of the license of WFKB) expired after being extended several times since November 2008 and the station's call sign reverted back to WBYN-FM. On March 31, 2009 the station dropped the Frank FM format and reverted back to a similar religious format it had been broadcasting prior to the LMA but not identical programming to 1160 WBYN which was on WBYN-FM HD-2. Nassau did acquire WBYN 1160. That station, therefore, kept the religious format that previously aired on WBYN-FM HD-2. WBYN-FM's religious format focuses slightly more on music and slightly less on teaching, though Nassau's 1160 WBYN religious format has a moderate amount of overlap with WBYN-FM's format. So WBYN and WBYN-FM are separately owned. WBYN-FM still broadcasts on HD-1 but does not currently broadcast an HD-2 format at this time.From the Newsletter: "The Nassau-WDAC deal struck in August 2005 was for an eventual purchase price of $22 million, and an LMA fee of $100,000 the first year, rising to $300,000 in the third year. Owner WDAC continued to operate its very successful Christian teaching WDAC (94.5) in the Lancaster, PA market."